It's not often you get a chance to really study how families play games. This week I got to do just that with the help of Sony. We took a PlayStation 4 and some top picks for family games into a real family with four boys.
From the games we tried a bunch came out on top, but as much as the specifics of what worked and what didn't, what I took away from this is that the PS4 really plugs a gap this year in the absence of new Nintendo games.
The first game we tried was Tricky Towers. This is a little like Tetris but with some great new modes that leverage the game's real world physics. This means that it took more skill to win the races and balance the bricks just right to win.
In a family, this opens the game up for those with less experience. As you can see in the embedded video, not only the boys but our test Mum and Dad were also keen to get in on the brick stacking action.
LittleBigPlanet 3 was another hit as you might expect. However, less obvious is how the family enjoyed the game. As much as progressing through the levels or trying out online creations, they actually had a lot of fun just mucking about with each other and customising their characters and world with stickers.
The boys also took great pride in ensuring their Mum didn't get left behind. In turn, she also warmed to the game and was soon leading the way in solving puzzles and completing the different challenges.
Ratchet & Clank changed things up for our test family as they took turns to play this more exuberant action platform game. Although at first they weren't sure if they all wanted to stay and watch, within minutes they were all sat together offering advice and elbows in the ribs to whoever was playing – particularly when Dad took the controls.
Finally, once the kids were off doing homework we set Mum and Dad up with Tearaway Unfolded. Playing games together wasn't something they often did, but soon got the hang of Tearaway and enjoyed the unusual interactions.
It was the paper craft world of Tearaway Unfolded that really appealed here as they made their way through the different levels, sat on the sofa together pointing and helping each other through.
By the end of the day we had had a lot of fun. There were a bunch of games the family wanted to play more of. But more than that we'd had a rare insight into the realities of family gaming. While this is sometimes seen as territory of Nintendo, the PlayStation experience here excelled.
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Andy Robertson runs the excellent Family Gamer TV channel, so make sure you subscribe through here. Which games will you be playing with your family this holiday? Gather around the television in the comments section below.
[source youtube.com]
Comments 29
Yeah, I think this aspect of PS4 gets overlooked a little bit. Sony's really good at hitting a lot of different demographics IMO.
Was hoping to hear about a couple of new games to play, but I own all of these Dx
Forgot all about Tearaway Unfolded, I think I need to play that one.
Sony should go full throttle on family games this holiday while Nintendo delays Switch to March and tries to sell a NES Mini no store has in stock. MS Xbox will be all about Gears of War I'm assuming. I guess Andy is sick of non-stop Skylanders coverage b/c only PS4 has the Crash and Cortex starter set right now, Sony can lean on that as their linchpin of family games. I'd even throw The Last Guardian in any family game commercial, though I don't know what it's rated but it looks mostly harmless compared to CoD and BF1. Fantastic Beasts Lego "Story pack" is due out next Friday alongside the movie. Whenever my kids play Lego D on Wii U it freezes after 1 hour, might have to double dip on a new starter pack.
Sony should strike after Pokemon releases next Friday, then Nintendo has nothing but a Super Mario Maker port, it's their's for the taking. Can't get in Pokemon's way, that's pointless, but they'll stop marketing it after a week or so.
@get2sammyb
This is one of the main reasons I bought a PS4 slim recently. Sony has a pretty good selection of family friendly games. I just bought Knack last week and have been having fun with it. I am hoping to pick up Tearaway unfolded on black Friday.
@get2sammyb I guess when it comes to family friendly games, people tend to immediately think of Nintendo just like how they usually think of Sony or Microsoft when it comes to more mature games.
It's games like these which have meant that I haven't missed having a Nintendo console for the last few years, although we still have nothing to compete with Mario Kart. Buying the Pro has meant that I can give my stepson my current PS4 for Christmas and being 10 I wasn't sure how many of my digital collection he could play. After setting it all up he'll have 28 games available on Christmas day with the Uncharted's of the world saved for when he gets a bit older.
We need more articles like this as I don't think many people realise the family options available on the console and if I'm honest both Tearaway and Ratchet and Clank are easily as good if not better than those Nintendo has to offer younger gamers. With the likes of Dreams coming soon as well as Yooka Laylee I'm going to have plenty to play with my family next year
You forgot Dragon Quest Builders, Final Fantasy World is a Pokemon game.
I agree with Neolit the WiiU would be my goto choice for a family console
I dunno. There isn't enough local multiplayer on the PS4 to call it a family console, at all. The Wii U has far, far more options.
@rjejr
Tearaway is decent. But being a Nintendo gamer also you've kind of been spoiled. Usually PS gamers who haven't tasted the platformers offered by Wii U think it's great, but to those who play Nintendo games it's nothing special. Compared to games like DKC Tropical Freeze, Mario 3D World or Yoshi's Wooly World... it can't hold its own. But that's why we play Nintendo too, isn't it. Because no one else makes those kinds of games as good as they do.
But it's an easy game. I'm sure you'll appreciate that at least. The best non-Nintendo "Nintendo game" I've ever played is Ori & the Blind Forest on X1. That one gives Ninty a run for its money. Shame you'll never play that one.
In fact, given Rare Replay in addition to Ori, and ReCore and some of the 360 BC titles like Sakaguchi's Blue Dragon... I'd almost say Microsoft is doing a decent job of appealing to that market as well.
I need to get LBP 3. LBP 1-2 were so good, I don't why I haven't got LBP 3 yet. I guess it's because it wasn't made by MM, but that doesn't mean it won't still be good.
Still not the best place to play child friendly and joyful games tbh.
@JaxonH I couldn't disagree more.
I've played most Nintendo platform games, including Mario 3d Land and they are not anywhere near as cool, creative, and fresh as Tearaway is. Rayman games are also much better than anything Nintendo has to offer.
Playing Mario 3d Land felt a lot like "been there, done that". Tearaway is all sorts of amazing. The controls are awesome, the use of the vita's a ps4's unique features is incredible, the soundtrack is superb and the gameplay overall is great.
@SkanetWasTaken Until Dawn...? :{
Gaming with most* kids is a chore. Young kids are the worst - I've only recently had fun with a handful of games namely;
Lego Marvel Super Heroes
Wii Sports
Minecraft Story Mode
Minecraft
And that's it. Playing tearaway, rayman, little big planet and just about any other game is a lesson in frustration. Kids are super s£#% at games.
*I'm pretty lucky my 15 year old (cant really consider him a kid anymore) is into Timesplitters, mass effect, kotor and jet set radio, he's also dead set against Microtransactions. I'm a boss parent.
@JaxonH "Ori & the Blind Forest on X1."
I still think at some point all X1 games will wind up on Windows 10, so I'll just play it then.
And I like easy games w/ paper graphics, not saying I'd pay $60 or even $40 for Tearaway but $5 on PS+, which is how I buy many of my games, and I'll be there. And the one thing I dislike about Ntinod games is their dedication to 2D, I don't like 2D games, Ilike 3D games. Even though Tearawy isn't open world, it looks rather linear, it at least gives an illusion of 3D, and I much prefer that. Puppeteer was good in 2D, but I still prefer 3D. And camera use, which bothers me a little bit in Paper Mario, and is the reason I was turned off by PS4 launch title Knack, no camera in a PS4 carton graphics game, but I can enjoy it w/o camera control if I can run a round a bit. It's why I've never liked the 2D Mario games all that much, I'd rather play the RPG and Paper games, I enjoy walking around at my own pace.
I will find a way to play 2D Pikmin on a 3DS though, Pikmin are just to cute.
PS - Watching the IGN review of Unfolded now, and it looks really good the way they incorporated in the DS4, and something my kids can play. At 11 and 14 they are starting to outgrow fun games and I fear FPS are just around the corner - or at least whatever Battleborn and Overwatch are - MOBA? - so I'll be happy knowing they are playing this.
@naruball
I'm glad you enjoyed it so much.
@rjejr
It's not a bad game by any means... it's just that it's nothing special when compared to Nintendo platformers. The mechanics are ok, and it is super creative, but it's just not that fun. That's the problem with Tearaway and Little Big Planet- they're just... not that fun.
I'd still recommend it if you can get it on sale, and there's fun to be had, but there's just not any interesting conflict/action. It's more just running around a paper world with evil "scraps", although I did like the weighty spring jumps off the bounce pads. But ya, compared to a Ninty platformer where there's satisfying enemies and environmental pitfalls, tricky precise jumps, etc... it can't hold its own.
Just thought I'd give you my thoughts since you know I've played both and am a very strict judge when it comes to platformers.
@JaxonH "a very strict judge when it comes to platformers."
I take your advice on all games, not just platformers, you're very well rounded, and I figure if you like it then it's too hard for me. Yoshi Wooly World was great, velcro was a genius addition, but I played almost the entire game on Mellow mode using the yarn yoshi sidekick to get thru it. I'm playing Bayonetta 2 on easy - which admittedly is too easy 98% of the time - but I get aggravated so easily these days my wife won't let me play anything that has even the slightest hint of failure. So it goes, I just play for fun exploration, adventure and story telling. LCU is going great, so is Paper Mario. I'm hoping Uncharted 4 and FFXV have easy modes, though FF games have always been easy for me outside of a few bosses here and there. I don't think she's going to let me play Splatoon 2 online.
@rjejr
No one likes overly challenging games, but I enjoy testing my skill limits. If I don't feel a sense of accomplishment I tend to lose interest. Can achieve that multiple ways, be it exploration (has to be intriguing though) or challenge or collecting, etc.
But some games just require you to tune your skills and adjust first, then once you've acclimated the challenge is just right. If you give up before acclimating you'll miss a lot of great games.
Bayonetta 2 was just right on normal mode. Way too easy on easy mode. But the original Bayonetta had some seriously challenging spots on normal. I remember getting owned by that pair of enemies, forget their names but they always fight as a pair and oh my goodness, I remember fighting them on this stair case out in space and I must have tried for 2 hours straight before winning. Some of of those Muspelheims or whatever they're called can be brutal too. Staying in the air for 60 secones, stuff like that
@JaxonH "I must have tried for 2 hours straight before winning."
Sounds like my single player Splatoon ending. If you haven't done single player it's a lot of fun. Normally I would have given up but I just really wanted to see the ending of that game for some reason. I got the boy and girl reskinned inkling so I've been playing some of the challenge levels here and there between sessions of PM:CS and LCU.
And there was a time when I played to beat things, in my 20's in the arcades and at home w/ my Atari 7800. I hated FF7 when I first got it, so slow and boring and easy, JRPG were so pointless to me. But I'm in my 50's now, you probably remember your grandparents in their 50's, do you think they were looking for a challenge in their video games?
@rjejr
Even though I'm 32 my dad is 74, and he loves his Majhong and Solitaire. Always playing that stuff on the computer. Pretty sure he likes the intellectual challenge like a puzzle.
My grandparents were born in like 1919, pretty sure they never even knew what a video game was.
@JaxonH Ah, your on the other end of the spectrum. I'm 51 and both my parents are 69 - there may have been a shotgun or 2 at the wedding. My parents have a Wii and played a lot of Wii Sports and a few tennis games, Sports Resort, stuff like that. My dad is hooked on card games on the PC and his tablet. I very much doubt they'll ever own another console though and wouldn't play anything we'd consider videogames. Well ok, they'll play Just Dance w/ the grandkids at the holidays, but my parents will do just about anything they're 7 grnadikids ask, so I dont 'count that as voluntarily playing.
I'm going outside to wash my windows before the sun sets, I'll catch ya later.
WiiU is a great family system (which Nintendo announced they would abandon almost a year ago).
We like all the family PS4 games listed in the article, but one word...Skylanders.
You can play Swap Force, Trap Team, Superchargers, and Imaginators on PS4.
If your wondering what these games are, it's sort of like Diablo 3 for kids & parents.
I really like the look of tricky towers.
Will get the family to try it out
Is there something that can be done about the cost of 4 controllers to make full family participation? ie something like a family bundle offer would make it more popular as most gamers are happy with just the one that comes with the console.
Good feature - we sometimes do struggle to find decent stuff we can all play on the PS4. Over time this has moved from Eyepet to LBP 1 and 2 - we currently play LBP 3 and/or take turns on Bread or Surgeon Simulator!
Will definitely check out Tearaway and Tricky Towers has become a good hit.
With Playstation NOW the kids also like going back and playing Fat Princess and a few other favourites.
Totally agree on controllers - at generally £50 each it is a barrier hence we pick them up second hand...
@SkanetWasTaken Great list of games
Really enjoyed Tricky Towers with my kids and they've had fun playing LBP3. This article reminds me I need to go back and finish Tearaway as well as that's a gem. Just waiting for a bigger price drop of Ratchet & Clank, because I have too many games to finish first!
It's interesting to see the PS4 steadily moving into territory that it seemed until fairly recently that Nintendo had pretty much sewn up. LBP3 and Tearaway Unfolded are both excellent, and Tricky Towers looks well worth an explore. Anything that can harness the magic of Tetris, add new and interesting aspects, and package that mix in a way that works for kids and parents has definitely got my attention. Thanks for the heads-up.
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